My life with teenage boys

Men-Children and Man-Colds June 22, 2012

It’s been a long week in the Man-Child house, with both boys suffering illnesses. One of the boys started with a head cold and developed gastro on top of it – so yes a day off school, a no-show at rugby, and pretty crook. Of course that didn’t stop his GF (did I mention it’s back on following the world’s shortest break-up) from coming over to infect herself with his germs – are they mad?

His twin brother was 100% sure he was going to catch something – I think he practically convinced himself he would get the gastro bug also. Fortunately he didn’t but he did get a good dose of the man-flu, the serious variety. Of course it started on Friday night, and when he mentioned he had a party to go to I gave him a quick talking to about the need to have an early night and get some rest so he could play school football the following morning. In other words I said NO you can’t go out.

So you can imagine our surprise whilst out with friends when we received a text message followed by a phone call from man-child telling us he was indeed going out and would be home later. Yep, have I mentioned before how obedient my teenage boys are? He got an instant lecture from me by phone and a guarantee that if he chose to go out I didn’t care how sick he was the following morning, he would be fronting up to footy. Naturally, he went out. So I had great delight in waking him up at 6.30am the following morning to drop him at the school bus to head to Geelong for his footy game. He was pretty sick I have to admit, and if it wasn’t for the night before I would have said he didn’t need to go, but I was determined to stick to my guns. I picked him up in the afternoon from school, a washed out wreck who crashed and burned. Call me mean, but sometimes they need a lesson in tough love. He’s still sick a week later, so it really was the man-flu in his case.

Before you think I am totally lacking any sympathy, I have done several drug runs to the chemist. I’ve also suggested he head to the doctor, just in case it’s gone to his chest and needs antibiotics.

Thankfully the rest of the household has so far been spared the man-cold, and let’s hope it stays that way. Meanwhile both the boys will be well just for the beginning of their THREE week school holidays – lucky them. This holiday completely caught me by surprise, as I thought they still got three weeks in September, but no they’ve moved it to July to align with many other schools. Whoops. No vacation plans, sorry boys. Happy holidays at home over winter…..

Have you endured a man-cold this winter? Are you full of sympathy, and the master of chicken soup? Or would you have sent him to footy unwell? I’d welcome your thoughts.

We have survived illness before – when they were babies on holidays. It made for a good story – read about it here: The Holiday from Hell.